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I turned my Raspberry Pi into a portable computer — and you can too
The Raspberry Pi works well as a portable SBC, but there are a couple of things you should bear in mind before bringing it along on your next outing
The Raspberry Pi boards are some of the best SBCs for DIY projects, but there’s no reason to confine them within the bounds of your house. Thanks to their small size, it's entirely possible to slip these devices into your pocket and use them on the move. But before you can bring your dreams of a portable Raspberry Pi to life, you’ll have to contend with the issues of powering and controlling the palm-sized system. So, I’ve put together a guide to help you free your Raspberry Pi from the shackles of cables, and use it anywhere outside your home lab.
Anker's monster 140W charger gets irresistible 50% discount and can satisfy all your charging needs
If you're looking for a charger with a lot of power at a fair price, grab this Anker 140W charger for a steal for a limited time.
Devices have gotten quite powerful over the past few years and, luckily, charging technology has managed to keep up, with brands utilizing the latest technology in order to provide speedy top-ups on some of our favorites smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Of course, these chargers aren't cheap, but if you're lucky enough, you'll be able to find a superb deal on one.
Dynabook's latest laptop packs all the ports, but it's still crazy light
The Dynabook Portégé X40L-M stands out by offering tons of ports while still being one of the lightest business laptops around.
Dynabook may not be the first name anyone thinks of when thinking of laptops, but that's not stopping the company from launching new devices each and every year. And today, the company introduced the Portégé X40L-M, a laptop that aims to rise above its business laptop competitors by offering all the ports you could want while still being one of the lightest laptops on the market.
Gunnar Optiks' Groot-themed glasses save your eyes using a sleek almond wood frame
Now, you are Groot.
It's important to save your eyes from the blue light from monitors, but you also want to look good while you do it. Fortunately, Gunnar Optiks have been putting out good-looking glasses that save your eyes for a long time. Now, the company is ready to show off its newest pair with its partnership with Marvel, and you can grab your own Groot-themed glasses that can help keep your eyes safe from strain while looking stylish at the same time.
Microsoft's new Start menu ads represent everything I hate about Windows
No matter what you do, you can't get away from Microsoft's bombardment of ads in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Microsoft's business model for Windows has been a hot topic lately, as the company's moves continue to point to an ad-supported or subscription-based future of the platform. There was a time when some thought Windows 12 might be subscription-based, following in the footsteps of successful services like Adobe's Creative Cloud. Neither advertisements nor subscriptions are particularly new for people in the Windows ecosystem. Ads have been in parts of Windows taking various forms — some optional and others not so much — for about a decade. Microsoft 365 has been available as a subscription for longer than that, since 2013. But every time the company takes another step to collect more user data, provide more "personalized," "tailored," or "recommended" experiences, or other cleverly-disguised ads, I can't help but feel disrespected as a customer.
How to use the ROG Ally for PS5 Remote Play
Turn your ROG Ally into a PlayStation Portal for PS5 Remote Play
The Asus ROG Ally is a fantastic handheld gaming console that's powerful enough to handle a lot of AAA titles with ease. It's not without its flaws, but many of us here at XDA use it for gaming and thoroughly enjoy the experience. It's a solid handheld gaming console that lets you enjoy all your favorite PC games away from your computer. But what if you want to play your PlayStation 5 games on the ROG Ally when you are, say, on your bed, or when the TV is being used by someone else?
6 features Apple Notes should borrow from OneNote
Apple Notes is great, but it needs these features to sway me away from OneNote
Being an official offering from Apple, the Notes app has a robust integration on the company’s devices. While some of the Notes features, such as Smart Folders, Quick Notes, tags, and subfolders, are great, the app misses out on several basics and spoils my note-taking experience in no time.
Snapdragon X: Everything you need to know about Qualcomm's Arm computing chips
The Snapdragon X Plus and the Snapdragon X Elite will finally reach laptops very soon, and here's everything you need to know about the X series.
Qualcomm has been talking about the Snapdragon X series for quite a while now, with its custom Oryon cores first being announced way back in 2022. These cores and the Snapdragon X series of SoCs are Qualcomm's answer to Apple's Arm-based chips, and they seem to be just around the corner. Qualcomm has announced the full range of SKUs for the Snapdragon X Elite, along an all-new Snapdragon X Plus.
The US is passing a bill to ban TikTok, but there's hope yet
A US-based sale will be the community's final hope.
The US and TikTok have been wrapped in a legal battle, with the former trying to ban the social media app out of the country. So far, there hasn't been a lot of progress, and TikTok has been allowed to operate normally. However, the biggest threat to the app has just passed through the Senate, and users have a single silver lining that may save the app from a nationwide ban.
Retro gaming has never been better, and it can only go up from here
Give your classics the 21st-century TLC they deserve.
Retro gaming has come a long way in the last decade or so. It may seem odd, given how we've had emulators for a long time now, but as technology has evolved, our retro gaming capabilities have only gotten better. Now, we're at a point where it has never been better to be a retro gamer, and there are plenty of reasons why now is a great time to crack open the classics and try something familiar.
Start menu ads are officially here with the latest Windows 11 optional update
The latest preview update for WIndows 11 is here, including Start menu "recommendations" and some updates to Widgets on the desktop and lock screen.
As we near the end of the month, Microsoft is rolling out its April optional update for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, and with it comes the introduction of recommended apps in the Start menu. That's another way of saying you'll now see ads for other apps in your Start menu, at least occasionally. The update is a preview of the Patch Tuesday update for May, so these changes will be coming to everyone soon.
How to save a failing drive with DISM and SFC
Having some issues with your Windows install? Your drive may be failing, but you can try to fix it using the SFC and DISM tools built into Windows.
Hard drives and even the best SSDs don't always work as intended, there are some telltale signs. Your Windows install may start acting off or some things may just not work. These are warning signs you should pay attention to, and if you see them, you should try to fix these issues as soon as possible.
How building a NAS with an SBC can save you money
Build your NAS for less with a small-board computer.
A small-board computer (SBC) is a compact system that can run the same software as a desktop PC on some Linux flavor or Windows. They're capable devices with powerful processors, upgradable and expandable parts, and healthy modding ecosystems. You can find SBCs powering surveillance systems, media centers, and storage solutions. It's possible to transform an SBC into a network-attached storage (NAS) server where you can store backups, sensitive data, and more. Compared to pre-built NAS enclosures from Synology, Asustor, and other brands, this could save you money.
After speaking with Intel, I'm excited for the future of "AI PC"
We interviewed Robert Hallock, Senior Director of Technical Marketing at Intel, to talk about what the future of AI looks like to Intel.
Intel has been going through a bit of a transformation of sorts in the last few months. Pushed by the improvements of chip competitor AMD and the AI dominance of Nvidia, the company has put its foot down and committed to supporting both AI and improving its fabrication nodes at a breakneck pace. Intel doesn't just want to ensure its processors are powerful, but it also wants them to be the smartest in the business.
Someone built a DIY Ryzen 7 handheld, and it's an absolute powerhouse
All it took was 3 months and a sawn-apart Nintendo Switch controller.
Portable gaming PCs are great, but they don't have the same "buildability" as PCs do. If you don't like the look of the current prebuilt gaming PCs on the market, you can simply buy the parts and make one yourself. While it's not as intuitive to make your own portable gaming powerhouse, that hasn't stopped some people, as one Redditor proved by building a Ryzen 7 7840HS unit that took them three months to make.
How to change your PIN on Windows 11
Changing your Windows 11 PIN helps ensure no one can log in to your account by memorizing your current one. Here's how to do it.
More and more, we see companies try to move away from traditional passwords. Windows 11 (and 10) both recommend that you set up a PIN after signing in using a Microsoft account. This is so your Microsoft account password isn't exposed every time you login, and instead you have a unique code to your device.
How to access NAS on your Android or iPhone
Want quick and easy access to your NAS drives on Android or iPhone? Here's how
Need to access your network-attached storage (NAS) on Android or iPhone? Well, the beautiful thing about NAS is that you can connect to it on almost any device — including a smartphone or tablet — and it's surprisingly simple, especially if all your devices are connected to the same network. Once you set everything up, you'll be up and running in no time.
A leaker claims that AMD will continue using slower GDDR6 with their next GPUs
A huge step down from GDDR7, but is this AMD's plan to appeal to budget PC builders?
The battle for the most powerful GPU has raged like never before. Nvidia has struck gold with its AI hardware, with companies so reliant on it that they're beginning to make attempts to swear off purchasing Nvidia hardware. Meanwhile, Intel wants another shot at the GPU game with its upcoming "Battlemage" unit. Everyone is looking to AMD to make a big play with its Radeon GPUs, but a recent leak has revealed that Team Red may not be bringing the most powerful hardware available to the table.
Start11 vs StartAllBack: Choosing the best Start menu replacement
Start11 and StartAllBack are the two most popular Start menu replacements out there. We've used them both, so which one is better?
As many users have found themselves unhappy with the Start menu on Windows 11, a lot of options have popped up to help you replace it with a better alternative. Two of the top options you'll find out there are Start11 and StartAllBack, both of which have a long legacy as Windows Start menu replacements.
Gachapon gamble pays off with Intel Core i7-8700 CPU prize for just $3
A remarkable find that relied on a lot of luck
Gachapon machines are a great way to let go of some loose change, often packed with fun prizes like keychains, stickers, and miniature figurines. While primarily aimed at children, there are alternative machines out there catering to adults that aim to add a little more excitement to the experience by offering mystery prizes that could far exceed the amount of money invested.